The Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has made it mandatory for all sweets stored and displayed for sale across the state to carry a clear “Use By Date” from October 15, 2026.

The new rule is particularly significant for loose sweets, as there was previously no clear mandatory requirement for shops to display an expiry or “Use By Date” on such products.

According to the department, inspections at sweet manufacturing and retail outlets found that consumers were often not provided with clear information about the date of manufacture and shelf life of sweets. This made it difficult for customers to determine how fresh the products were.

Officials said the shelf life of sweets can vary significantly depending on their type, ranging from one day to 30 days. The department said displaying the “Use By Date” will help consumers make informed decisions about the freshness and safe consumption period of sweets.

Under the existing system, packaged sweets are already required to carry an expiry date or “Use By Date”. The new measure extends clear date-display requirements to loose sweets as well.

Separate action on milk processing units

The Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has also banned the use of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol in milk and milk-product processing units.

Officials said inspections found that some establishments were using these chemicals as coolants during processes such as pasteurisation and refrigeration. The department cited the risk of contamination if the chemicals leak into milk during processing.

According to officials, propylene glycol can be used as an alternative and is already being used by several milk processing units.

The measures are aimed at improving food safety, transparency and consumer awareness across Uttar Pradesh.